Bill Text: HI SB665 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Primary Health Care; Primary Care Workforce Development Plan; Appropriation ($)
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2013-04-26 - Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 04-26-13 4:30PM in conference room 229. [SB665 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2013-SB665-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
665 |
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TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to health.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that Hawaii has a shortage of physicians compared to similar populations throughout the United States. Studies of the physician workforce in Hawaii demonstrate extreme shortages of primary care specialties, most notably in rural areas. Rising demand on the health care system in Hawaii due to population growth, aging, and the prevalence of chronic disease call for an increase in the existing physician base. Access to a personal physician has been shown to decrease morbidity and mortality while controlling health care costs through early detection and careful management of chronic disease and deferral of unnecessary hospital admission and emergency room visits.
Despite this shortage, many medical students graduating with considerable debt feel compelled to choose a non-primary-care specialty with higher compensation in order to repay student loans. In addition, the current stock of physicians is rapidly approaching retirement age, suggesting a contraction in the existing physician workforce. As the entire United States develops the accountable care organization model, the competition to recruit new primary care providers will increase.
Furthermore, physicians tend to remain and practice where they train. If bright medical students leave Hawaii to train elsewhere, they are less likely to return and practice in Hawaii. Strong evidence suggests that if both medical school and residency are completed in Hawaii, eighty-five per cent of physicians will remain and practice in Hawaii.
The legislature further finds that a comprehensive approach that addresses the primary care workforce shortage in Hawaii requires incentivizing primary care by:
(1) Reducing medical school debt via a loan repayment program for medical students and other health professionals who serve in shortage specialties and underserved areas of Hawaii;
(2) Ensuring a culturally competent workforce for the unique and diverse peoples of Hawaii with support for programs and initiatives such as the Imi Hoola program, which brings disadvantaged young people into medical careers, and the native Hawaiian student pathway to medicine program, which supports workforce diversity; and
(3) Expanding the graduate medical education or residency training positions in primary care that are available to students, such as doubling the faculty and infrastructure of the existing family medicine residency program at the John A. Burns school of medicine and developing new accredited family health centers in association with teaching hospitals.
The purpose of this Act is to address the shortage of primary care physicians in the State by making an appropriation for the Hawaii health corps and diversity programs and primary care workforce expansion at the John A. Burns school of medicine.
SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $300,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2013-2014 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2014-2015 for deposit into the Hawaii health corps revolving fund.
SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the Hawaii health corps revolving fund the sum of $300,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2013-2014 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2014-2015 for purposes pursuant to section 309H-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii John A. Burns school of medicine and the University of Hawaii at Manoa school of nursing and dental hygiene for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $560,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2013-2014 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2014-2015 to support programs of the John A. Burns school of medicine's native Hawaiian center of excellence such as the Imi Hoola program and the native Hawaiian student pathway to medicine program.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii John A. Burns school of medicine for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2013-2014 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2014-2015 for increases in faculty and infrastructure of the existing family medicine residency program and development of new accredited family health centers in association with teaching hospitals.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the John A. Burns school of medicine for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2013.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Primary Health Care; Primary Care Workforce Development Plan; Appropriation
Description:
Appropriates funds to address the shortage of primary care physicians in the State through a comprehensive primary care workforce development plan that addresses the critical areas of loan repayment, diversity programs, and primary care workforce expansion.
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
